I am often asked for recommendations when selecting desserts for a special occasion. In “Dear Sugar Source,” I will provide examples of questions posed and suggestions provided. Do you have an event coming up that will require some sweet advice? Submit below as a comment, and you may just have an answer in an upcoming edition!
Dear SugarSource,
My boyfriend’s birthday is in two days and I haven’t ordered a cake yet. We are going to have the party on the Upper East Side at a restaurant on 76th St. He loves red velvet, and there will probably be 12-15 people there (but I don’t think people will be eating huge slices or anything). Any ideas of places to go? I want to get this figured out ASAP.
Thanks,
JerseyGirl
Hi JerseyGirl,
Thankfully there are a lot of options! If you are ever in a pinch in NYC, you can always swing by a Magnolia Bakery or Crumbs location, which will have a variety of flavors (and sizes at Crumbs) for you to choose from for a birthday celebration. That being said, it sounds like you are looking for a more traditional cake. With this particular time crunch, I would recommend Buttercup Bake Shop. Located on the Upper East Side, they can take delivery requests within two days of the event, which is perfect for your circumstances. They have reliable delivery service and delicious, balanced cakes, so this should be a crowd-pleaser, and you should only need the 9″ inch three-layer option to ensure all guests get a taste.
However, one of my favorite bakeries on the Upper East Side, Two Little Red Hens, has a great cake selection as well. There is one caveat – they are only able to accept custom cake orders at least three days in advance and are sticklers with this policy. If you are willing to take the risk, you could walk in day-of to see if they have a prepared red velvet cake available for purchase within the display case – they will add a message on the spot for free. I wound up at the bakery early one Sunday morning in pursuit of a 4″ chocolate raspberry cake for my parents’ anniversary (which was the same day), and was very pleased with the purchase (as were they!).
Hope this helps – and Happy Birthday to your boyfriend!
Until next time,
SugarSource
SugarSource 